Homecoming
by The Darklight Angel
Summary: Its been 10 years since the knight left Rendd. 10 since she was thrown out as a mere child. But when strange attacks occur, and a new enemy appears, the knight will be forced to return with new allies and fight an enemy never seen before in Lore. NOW BACK
1. Chapter 1

Homecoming

Alright, this is a story that I've been thinking about for a bit. It has a touch of angst, since ive recently become an angst addict, but I hope that you'll enjoy,

Disclaimer – I own Rayne, Lizzie, and Trip. Xenolord owns Maria, Natalya, and Serras. Flame and I own Felix. All others, we do not own.

* * *

There was a hush around Battleon. Not the scared, terror inducing hush that usually came whenever a maniac was threatening to destroy the town, or a war was very, very near to the town. No, it was the type of hush, which one usually associated with night time. And, indeed, night was upon the town. As usual.

And with night, there is always darkness. But with the darkness, there is always some illumination, usually caused by the moon, or the lights of the houses and buildings. And, indeed, there was lighting around the town. Also as usual.

But there was something unusual about the town that night. The usual moonlight was marred by the shadows of two figures, standing on the hill where Twilly usually was, overlooking the town. And the usual hush was penetrated by the sounds of the figures' voices.

If one came closer, only a little bit closer, one would be able to hear there conversation perfectly, the quiet letting the sound travel quite far.

"So this is Battleon." One figure said, their light, in-the-middle tone of voice, indicating that it was a woman.

"Mm." The other, taller figure replied, the sound alone deep enough to signify that it was a man.

"Why didn't we ever come here before?" The woman asked, turning to face the man. The darkness provided the perfect shading, so even with the moon, it was hard too hard to distinguish either of their specific facial features.

"It's an awfully long journey honey." The male said kindly, his roughish voice softening the slightest bit.

"I know." The lady sighed. "But don't you think it would have been wonderful to come here, back when-"

"We shouldn't dwell on the past." He interrupted suddenly, his voice hardening much more than before. "And you know this isn't a vacation."

The woman was silent for a few minutes, before she cleared her throat, and straightened her back. "I know."

There was an uncomfortable tension between them, as neither spoke. Clearing his throat, the male spoke again. "Come. We'll get a room, and we'll talk to the guardians about this tomorrow." And they headed off, down the hill, towards Yulgar's inn.

* * *

-Yulgar's Inn: The next morning-

* * *

Yulgar looked up, as he heard the familiar tinkling of the bell above the entrance to his door. Grinning, he spread his arms wide open. "Well, well, look who decided to visit." He laughed, as Trip, Lizzie, Maria, Natalya, Serras, Gale, Aria, Safiria, and Felix walked in, and sat down at a large table. 

"Hey Yulgar." Felix waved, hyperactive as ever. Yulgar hopped over his front desk, and walked over to the group. "So what's the special occasion? Last time I heard, Lizzie over here cooked your breakfast."

Lizzie shrugged. "Well, I would've…had SOMEBODY" She raised her voice, and threw a not so discreet glance at Felix, who gulped, and slunk down in her seat "Not, somehow, use up a months worth of food, doing Creator knows what." She finished.

Yulgar clicked his tongue, and waggled a finger playfully at the childish cat demon. "Tut tut Ms. Katdemon." Looking at them all, he couldn't help but give a hearty laugh. "Well, we can't have some of Lore's finest guardians starve, now can we?" Pulling a notebook and a pencil out of his heavy leather apron, he held them, poised to write. "What would you like?"

"The full breakfast course!" Trip cheered excitedly. "Any specifications?" The smithy asked, scratching down a few words on the parchment. "The usual." They answered.

"So that's cocoa for Felix, Trip, and Aria…tea for Safiria and Lizzie...milk for Maria, Natalya, and Serras…and Orange Juice for Sage, Alex, Gale, Kay, and Rayne." Closing his small notebook, he scanned his eyes around the table. "Where is Rayne and the other kids anyways?"

"Rayne had to go check something out back in Rendd; she brought Kay with her. They should be back soon. And Sage and Alex are still asleep back at the tower." Lizzie explained. Yulgar nodded, and smiled. "Well, you wait right here. I'll be back as soon as I can with your orders. And I'll wrap something up for the kids." And with that, he headed into his kitchen.

Almost immediately after, Felix stood up. "I'll be back, I'm just going to the little cat girls' room."

Felix walked up the stairs, narrowly getting hit by Twig, as he was kicked down the stairs yet again by Blackhawke. Yulgar came by moments later, placing their ordered food on the table. As they conversed, and ate, they didn't notice the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs, until…

"Excuse me."

They stopped eating and chatting, and turned to look at a man and a woman, most likely a couple, standing in front of their table.

"Are you part of the guardians of Battleon?" The man asked, as he shifted slightly, training his gaze on them, eyeing their armor.

"Yes…most of us are." Maria answered, as she turned around to face him, and who she supposed, was his wife.

"Thank the Elemental Lords." The woman whispered, as she relaxed, a weary smile on her face. The man, who looked like the stern type, couldn't help but smile along with her. Pulling out a chair by a nearby table, he seated the woman first, and then pulled out a chair for himself.

As Maria watched them both, she couldn't help but notice something familiar about them. She couldn't quite place her finger on it, but she had a feeling she had seen them before…she just couldn't tell where. Glancing slightly at the others, she could tell they were thinking the same thing.

"You see, my wife and I, we've come from Lyndbaum." He explained, as he ran a hand through his dark hair, and rubbed at his eyes.

"That's a village in Rendd." His wife continued.

Gale whistled lowly. "That's pretty far away." She said, having traveled, just to the capital, Rendd City, on foot once. If it took that long to get their by foot, she couldn't imagine how far it would be to a village.

"It is." She smiled at the little girl. Gale smiled back at the woman. The woman's smile faded a little bit, as her gaze lingered on the little girl. Maria arched an eyebrow, and shifted a little closer to her daughter, wrapping an arm around her tiny waist. "Is something wrong?" She asked her.

The woman shook her head, and tore her eyes away from Gale. "No, no…she just…reminded me of someone, that's all…" The woman trailed off, looking wistful. Nobody spoke a word, before Natalya cleared her throat

"So, anyways, why did you need the guardians?" She asked, her cheerful demeanor changing into a more serious one.

"Oh…yes." The man, who had also seemed to have drifted off, snapped back to attention. "For over the past year, monsters have been attacking our livestock."

"Well, it's only a couple of cows and such." Lizzie pointed out. "That's not big enough to involve the guardians in it."

"That's what I was getting to." He said, thinly veiling his annoyance at being interrupted. "Lately, though, it's began to become worse."

"How so?" Trip asked, just as serious as Nat was.

"They've began to come into the village, and wounding and killing the villagers." His wife answered.

"Not to mention that they've began to attack almost every night. Before, it was just once, or twice every few weeks." The man said. "We've been managing to hold them off, but it's like every single time that we manage to save the village, they come back, with more monsters. And when they attack, they attack a different location every night. Almost like it's…"

"Like it's being planned." Aria finished. "I might not know much about subjects like this, but I know that monsters, any type of monster, don't attack like that, even when provoked. There's definitely got to be someone behind all of that."

"And that's why we need your help." The woman said, sounding desperate. "We don't want anyone else dying."

"Well, I can believe that." Safiria said, understanding the situation. "But, it could be a trap set up for the guardians. Maybe whoever's controlling the monsters WANTS them to get the guardians, and knights, over there." Lizzie pointed out. And noise erupted, as they began to converse on the situation.

Maria, who had remained silent for most of the conversation, slowly took a sip from her glass of milk, and then banged it hard, down onto the table, effectively stopping the conversation.

"Whether it's a trap or not, we should help them." She announced, looking at everyone, her take charge, military side taking over. "Not just because were obligated to as guardians…and knights," She added in, looking at Lizzie and Trip, "But because we should, as human beings, and sub-humans." Maria finished her little mini-speech. Turning to the couple, she spoke to them professionally.

"I'll make sure that captain Krieger knows that were going back with you to your village. With getting ready and such, we should be able to leave either by tonight, or early next morning."

The couple looked at her, in pure shock, before they allowed matching, weary smiles on their faces. "Thank you." The man said, his stern expression sliding away.

She smiled back at them, before looking to her friends. "Well, we should finish eating, before this gets any colder." Turning back to them, she looked at the man and woman. "Would you like to join us?"

Still smiling, they nodded, and pulled up chairs to the table, and once again, they resumed eating. Just as Maria was about to dig into her food, she stopped, glancing around the table. "What happened to-"

"Sorry I took so long everyone!" Felix shouted, as she ran down the stairs. "That stupid overgrown squid in the washrooms tried to turn me into cat food, and I had…to…" As she approached the table, she stopped talking, as she finally approached the table, and saw who was sitting there.

The couple looked back at her, mildly shocked and confused. "Felix?" The woman asked. The man, just as surprised at his wife, stared at her. "But if you're here, then that means-"

The bell tinkled for the second time that morning, as Rayne walked into the inn. "Hey guys, sorry I'm late, there was just-"

The knight stopped moving, as she caught sight of the people at the table. They switched their gazes from Felix to Rayne, and their own mouths hung open. "Rayne!?" They gasped, looking at her, wide eyed.

Rayne gaped, eyes wide open. Her friends were surprised to see her like that, as Rayne rarely ever lost her composure. And when she did, it wasn't like she was acting now. Rayne blinked hard, and moved her jaw, but no words came out. Finally, she closed her eyes, drew in a deep, ragged breath, and looked at the couple, no emotion in her chocolate amethyst eyes, as she said coldly-

"Hi Mom. Hi dad."

-

* * *

So this is the first chapter so far. I hope you liked this, cause there gonnna be more. 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Disclaimer – I own Rayne, Lizzie, and Trip. Xenolord owns Maria, Natalya, and Serras. Flame and I own Felix. All others, we do not own.

* * *

_Finally, she closed her eyes, drew in a deep, ragged breath, and looked at the couple, no emotion in her chocolate-amethyst eyes, as she said coldly-_

_"Hi Mom. Hi Dad."_

* * *

The rest of her friends looked on in shock, as Rayne coldly greeted her parents. Rayne's mother's breath hitched. With tears burning in her eyes, she rushed to her daughter, hugging her tightly. Although she was surprised, she didn't pull away from the hug. But neither did she return it.

Rayne's father's reaction, however, was quite the opposite of his wife's. Instead of bursting into tears, and rushing over to her, his eyes hardened, and he stayed rooted to the spot. "Rayne." He said, shaking off the last of his surprise.

Looking up from her mother, the sadness which had appeared in her eyes left, leaving them emotionless once again. "Father." She acknowledged.

Her father sighed, and awkwardly shifted around on his chair. "Rayne…can we talk?"

Said woman finally pulled away from her mother gently. "I'm sorry, but I can't right now, father."

He looked somewhat annoyed, and opened his mouth, but his wife whirled around, and stopped him, with a glare, and a sharp "Talon!" causing him to shut it immediately.

Turning back to her daughter, she smiled, still somewhat not believing seeing her daughter after a decade. "Come, let's eat." She said, grasping her hand, and tugging her in the direction of the meal. Rayne slipped her hand out of her mother's, before she could start leading her to the table. At her curious look, she shook her head. "Not yet…"

Hearing this, she tsked. "Rayne Avery, you sit down, and you eat your breakfast right now." She commanded, using a tone that sounded very much like the one Rayne used when she was leading the other warriors into battle. The people at the table couldn't help but come out of their stunned stupor, and break into stifled laughter.

"But…mother, I can't right now, I have to check on someone." She mumbled, scratching her head awkwardly.

"Let her be, Firi." Talon said calmly as she tried to tug her off again to the table. Standing up, he raised an eyebrow. "And who, exactly, could be more important?"

The answer came, as they heard the sound of laughter, outside of the still open doorway. A little girl with short, bright red hair wiggled past Rayne in the doorway, and laughed, as she ran to the table, a hint of emerald reflecting off of her amethyst eyes,

"Hi Kay." Trip called out, ruffling the little girl's hair, as she ran by her, around the table. "Don't fall!" Safiria warned, as Kay came by. All the people at the table, excluding Talon Anasi, greeted the little girl in some way. Once she had gone all the way around the table, she hopped over to where Gale was sitting, and sat on the same chair.

Excitedly, Kay looked at her friend. "Hey, Gale, guess what?" "What?" The slightly older girl asked, her friend's excitement catching onto her. "Tell me, tell me!"

"I got to ride on a horse, reeeally fast, all by myself!" She nearly shouted. Gale looked in awe for a moment, then looked to her side, and gave a pleading look to Maria. Although she wasn't one to usually deny people, she had never even let Gale go into the stables, afraid she would be trampled.

Looking over Gales head, she looked curiously at Kay. "Really? All by yourself?"

"Yeah!" She cheered. Looking around the table, she saw the teasing, disbelieving looks of the adults. "Okay, maybe not all by myself." She admitted, grinning as she heard the amused laughs of everyone else. Gleefully glancing at everyone's reactions, it was then, that she finally noticed the two newcomers, and looked at them quizzically.

Firiana smiled at the little girl, and moved away from Rayne, to the space in between the table, and the door. Beckoning for her to come closer, she smiled inwardly, as the little girl came towards her. She crouched, so that she was on eye level with Kay.

Although Kay was usually bold, straight forward, and an extrovert, there was something about meeting new people that made her clam up, and made her become one of the shyest people around. Lizzie figured that it was something she inherited from Rayne.

"Hello." Firi greeted quietly. Kay shyly waved at her. Firi laughed softly. 'Don't be scared; I won't bite." Kay looked at her shoes, before looking up, and smiling the best she could. "Hi." She whispered.

A quiet 'aww' escaped from the people at the table, as they saw Kay's expression. Smiling, she tucked a loose strand of fiery hair behind the girl's ear. "You're adorable!" She nearly squealed. Talon smiled at the scene, thinking of times long ago, and asked "Whose is she?"

Lizzie stood up, and walked over to Kay. Seeing her mother, she immediately moved away from Firi, and latched onto her waist. Lizzie smiled affectionately at the little girl, stating "She's mine."

It was a surprise for both Firi and Talon to see someone as young as her, with child. Assuming the worse, Talon asked, somewhat quietly "And where is the father?"

Kay broke away from Lizzie, and stared curiously up at the man. "I don't have a father." She said. Realizing what Kay was getting at, the people at the table rushed to stop her, but didn't manage to, before Kay said "I have two mothers."

Talon paled a bit. "T-two mothers?" He echoed, looking from Kay, to Lizzie. Firi looked a bit curious.

Kay nodded. She felt comfortable enough with these new people now. "I have mommy…" She said, hugging Lizzie around the waist.

"And mom!" She said happily. Firi looked shocked once again, as the little girl went, and ran over to Rayne, jumping onto her at the last moment, with her mother's reflexes leading to no falls.

**THUMP**

And everyone else was surprised even more, when Talon, not Firiana, fell to the floorThey stared at the man for a goodwhile, before Maria spoke up.

"Well….that's one interesting way to come out to your parents."

* * *

It was well past noon already, and Talon was still out cold. For a moment, they were afraid that he'd died from a shock-induced heart attack, but he'd really only fainted. This was still pretty bad, but better than the former.

Firiana sat awkwardly in the gathering room, of Rayne and Lizzie's floor in the Guardian tower, fiddling with her floral print skirt. As soon as her friends and family had helped carry Mr. Anasi to their room, they had scampered off somewhere, leaving Rayne alone to talk with her mother.

Rayne sat across from her, refusing to make eye contact, and acting just like the young girl she was years ago. Firi cleared her throat. "So…." She began awkwardly. "She seems like a…nice, girl."

"She is."

"Erm…" The older woman racked her brain, wishing that their conversation wasn't so horribly hard to carry on. "Kay was her name, was it? A bit of an odd name…"

"Kira."

"Hmm?"

Rayne looked up, and muttered softly, as she finally met eyes with Firiana. "Kira is her name; Kay's just her nickname."

"I see…." She coughed, and maintained eye contact with her daughter, even though all she wanted to do was run out of the room, grab her husband, and rush back to Rendd, creatures be damned.

"Erm…was…Kira…telling the truth, earlier?"

Rayne switched her gaze from her mom, to her lap, and was silent. It was a while, before she spoke up again, nearly in a whisper.

"Yes."

Firi didn't make a noise. Somewhere in her mind, she knew that the little redhead had been telling the truth.

Firi did, however, let out a strangled gasp of surprise, when Rayne had shifted, and something had glinted on her left hand. Rushing over, the girl flinched as her mother grasped her hand and lifted it.

"Is this…is this-!?"

Rayne nodded, and gasped herself, as Firiana began to sway on the spot. Her reflexes kicked in, and in the blink of an eye, she was seated back in her chair. Holding up her hands to her head, she rubbed her temples.

"Wh-when did this happen?"

"A few years ago." Rayne mumbled.

'And you didn't…."

"I'm sorry." Rayne murmured. "I would have but…after what happened, I didn't think that you would…"

The commander wasn't surprised, when more tears pooled in Firiana's eyes. She was, however, when her mother lunged from her chair, and onto Rayne, in a hug. She stiffened at the contact, more out of shock than anything.

"Rayne," Firi choked back a sob, "I'm so sorry. Your father and I…we were selfish. We wanted you to fit in, to make you into what we thought was a perfect child. But when you began to develop into the exact opposite of what we wanted, we got angry. And I know that it was wrong. When you left, we thought that you would recognize your errors, and come back to us. But as I can see…" She laughed a dry, humourless laugh, as she wiped her tears away with a handkerchief she had pulled out of her pocket. "That wasn't the case."

"When you didn't come back, we realized what we had done. We had sent away our only child to fend for herself, at ten years. And why? Because we wouldn't let you be who you wanted to be. Creator, we were so foolish! And now I see what that one mistake caused me to miss out on. 10 years of wasted time, my granddaughter, and…" She pulled out of the hug, and touched the ring with the special chocolate-amethyst gem that matched Rayne's eyes.

"But…maybe now…we can make up for all those lost years." She said, as she pulled Rayne back in. Rayne finally relaxed, and hugged her back, with a smile on her face for the first time that day.

But her smile faded away, as she saw someone standing in front of the stair well. She gently pushed her mother away, and stared at them. Firi turned around to look herself, and smiled, as she saw it was Talon. Her smile turned into a frown though, as he made his way over to them.

"Talon, shouldn't you be in bed? I mean, fainting like that, it can cause a lot of strain on a body, and-"

"I'm fine." He said, as he smiled for reassurance.

"Are you sure? I mean-"

"I'm serious." He said gently. "I just want to talk to Rayne privately about something. Then, I'll go back to the inn, and you can dote over me as much as you like, alright?"

"Well…alright." She smiled back at him, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I'll head back now."

She stood up, smoothed the wrinkles in her skirt, and went to one of two staircases. She went down a couple of steps, but stopped suddenly. Something didn't feel right. Instead of going down the rest of the way, she flattened herself against the wall, and positioned herself so that she could see them, but they couldn't see her.

She watched, as father and daughter stood, not saying a word, staring each other down.

It was Talon who spoke first. "What are you doing here Rayne?"

"I live here." She answered, with no emotion whatsoever.

"I mean what are you doing _here"_ He asked again. "I mean, I doubt the Guardian's let people use their towers as meeting grounds."

"I live here." She repeated.

"You live in the tower?"

Rayne nodded. She didn't move a muscle, when he began to laugh. "Well, that's preposterous! The only people, who are allowed to live within the tower, are the Guardians."

His laughter began to fade away, when Rayne didn't say a word.

His brow furrowed. "You're a Guardian?" His daughter remained silent. That silence was all he needed to hear.

"But-How? When? Why?"

"Well father, a person usually becomes a Guardian if they're smart, strong, and wise enough. Or in my case, if they happen to be all those things and the Guardian's require a Rendd high- ranking knight." She answered dryly.

He began to laugh again, and this time, Rayne couldn't help but twitch. The loud, raucous laughter was starting to get on her nerves.

"Now I know you're joking." He laughed. "I mean the Guardian thing was hardly believable, but you're a Rendd knight too? You didn't get me this time. I suppose you're going to tell me that that little girl is your daughter?"

"Father, I'm not joking." Rayne said seriously.

"You've become quite the comedian these past years, Rayne!" Talon roared with laughter. Rayne twitched once again.

"Father, if I was neither a Guardian nor a Knight, would I have these?" Rayne pulled off the cloak that rested upon her shoulder's, and held it up. The laughter died down once more, as Talon stared at what was stitched right into the cloak.

Two symbols were what he was staring at. One, the official symbol of the Guardians of Lore. The other, the crest of the Royal Pria knights. Both were unobtainable, unless owned by someone who was, or had been in service.

"You're not joking?" He asked dumbly. Rayne nodded, and fastened the cloak once more.

"But…how?" Talon was dumbfounded. "You're a Guardian, and a Knight…"

"Commander of the Pria Knights actually. Only second to Sir Tathlin himself." Rayne added in. He didn't take any notice.

"That's…that's hard to believe…" He murmured, looking down at the ground. Something else struck him. "So the girl is…?"

Rayne hesitated for a moment, before nodding, quickly and firmly. Talon began to go red.

"Honestly Rayne! I can't believe this!" He yelled. Rayne didn't flinch away; she stood her ground.

"You've become a Guardian, AND a Pria Knight? And you never told us? Not to mention, you're raising a daughter with that girl's mother, who you honestly shouldn't be affiliated with, considering it looks as if she wasn't even married. No good can come from a woman like that. She might as well be a wh-"

For the first time that night, when Rayne spoke, it had emotion to it; Anger.

"Don't you dare finish that sentence." Rayne said, her eyes taking on an angry glint.

"What did you say to me?" Talon asked, surprised.

"I said, don't finish that sentence." Rayne growled.

"Father, don't you talk about her like that. She has a name. She's a person. And she is DEFINITELY not what you were about to call her."

Talon looked in wonder. This was the same, timid girl that had left his household a decade ago?

"In fact, she's more than just a person to me. She's my best friend." His daughter took a step towards him.

"She's my lover." Another step.

"She" step.

"Is." Step

"My." Step

"Wife." Rayne stood, close enough to her father that he could see the ring on her finger, with the gem that matched her eyes.

"And father, I don't care what you say. I love her more than anything in the world. And that little girl?" Rayne couldn't help but relish the wide eyed expression on his face, as she said those three words.

"She's your granddaughter."

Firiana went wide eyed herself, as all colour drained from Talon's face. Rayne stood there, trying to even out her suddenly ragged breathing. She took in a deep breath, and exhaled forcefully, before continuing.

"Father, I will say this. You say what you like; but there's nothing you can do to change it. They're family. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go and pack. It is my duty, as a _Guardian_, that I attend to your plea."" She turned towards the opposite staircase, not where Firiana was hiding. She took a step away from Talon, before pausing, and turning back to look at him.

"Good day, father."

With that, she turned her back on her shocked father, and left.

* * *

I'm sorry that took so long. I had a bit of a writer's block, and I didn't have any time. 


	3. Chapter 3

Return

Disclaimer – I own Rayne, Lizzie, Trip, Blaze, Cynfor, and Leader. Xenolord owns Maria, Natalya, and Serras. Flame and I own Felix. Everyone else I don't own.

* * *

Weak light shone onto Rendd, the light barely enough to guide a person's way. It was light so pale, that one could barely see their hand in front of their face.

However, for one town, that light was all they needed.

The sun was barely over the horizon, but almost the entire own (sans children) were already in the streets. The light was their saviour; for when the first hints of sunshine came over the horizon, the monsters ran, disappearing back into the quickly receding shadows.

"Sir!" One man yelled to another. Hard leather and a farming sickle were his armour and weapon, and both were covered in scratches, proof that they (and who they were protecting) had lived to see another day.

"Sir, all the creatures have retreated!"

"Good." The man who he had called sir replied. He was older than the farmer, and a little better equipped (a proper fighting axe and a steel plate) but not by much. "What are the casualties?"

"None, sir!" The young farmer-turned-soldier said cheerfully, taking off his makeshift helmet. "No one was gravely injured. We only lost some cattle this time."

"Good." His superior repeated. His face was slightly worn, but it now held a weary smile. His grin evaporated though, and set into a severe line.

"We were prepared, and our alerting system worked," He said darkly, "Next time, however, we might not be so lucky."

"Sir!" The young man said, shocked. "Don't say things like that, sir! You've got to be hopeful, for everyone who can't!"

The man didn't say anything, but simply nodded.

"Have Talon and his wife returned yet?" He asked suddenly. The young man sighed.

"I'm afraid not, sir." He responded, his shoulders slumped as he said so.

"They should have reached Battleon by now." The older man murmured.

"Sir..." The farmer responded uneasily. "You don't suppose-"

"Don't finish that sentence!" The other snapped. The farmer stepped back in surprise.

"I'm sorry." The older man apologized, after seeing what he had done. "But please, don't say that. Talon and Firiana... well, we need them. They're out last chance for help, if they reach Battleon. We can't hold off these fiends forever. The Guardians are our last hope."

"I understand, sir." The farmer nodded. "Still, it will be a while until they arrive. Mister Anasi and his wife left last week. If they've only reached Battleon by now, they won't be back until the next week."

"I know." His commander whispered. "But we have to hold out."

"**SIR!"**

Another man ran up to the both of them, panting. By his makeshift armour and weapons, one could tell he was a smith of some sort, for his weapons and protection were a large, heavy looking leather smock, and a big hammer.

"What is it?" Their leader asked him, both he and the farmer turning toward the smith.

"From the east!" He cried, not even stopping to catch his breath.

Both the leader and the farmer ran to the east side of the village as fast as they could, leaving the panting smith to catch up. As they reached the East, they saw that everyone was there. The men of the militia stood at the ready, weapons at hand as the women hung back.

The women were usually kept out of harm's way, but they had all wandered out (some with children) when they heard of something coming. Was it a new kind of beast that could withstand the sun's rays and lay waste to their battered village? Or was it the beasts' leader, come to end the suffering through peace or panic?

The leader, however, realized it was neither, as he held his axe in front of him and squinted into the light of the rising sun. Eyes widening, he held up a glove-clad hand, signalling for all to put down their weapons. The militia, though confused, put their arms down, ready to grab at them at a moment's notice.

Stepping forward, the leader waited until they were close enough to be seen. He sighed in relief, and walked to the ones who were approaching the village.

"Thank the Creator!" He breathed, clasping Talon's hand in a firm greeting. "You both have survived."

"I'm sorry if we have caused you any worry." Firiana apologized, but the leader just shook his head.

"No apologies. Both of you put your lives in danger to go to Battleon in our time of need."

He glanced behind them, and the look in his eyes could only be described as despair. "Though0 it seems your efforts were in vain."

"Vain?" Firiana looked surprised. "No, no sir; we managed to recruit the aid of the famed Guardians."

"Truly?" He asked them, his look of hope returning with her words. "Well... where is he?"

Talon, who had been unusually quiet, spoke up suddenly.

"_He?_" he laughed, his chuckle sounding oddly hollow.

The leader was confused until he saw another figure quickly approaching. It came closer and closer, until soon, it became the prone figure of a man, wearing the trademark Guardian armour and a trailing cloak.

"Good sir!" Their leader called, rushing up to the man. As they stood, facing each other, it could be seen that the Guardian was only an inch taller than their leader.

"Good sir, thank you." The leader said, clasping the man's wrist and forearm in a warriors greeting. "Thank you for coming to help us in our need, all by yourself."

The Guardian chuckled slightly, and once again, the leader was mystified.

"Good sir?" He asked cautiously, hoping that this was not a trick of some sort.

"Oh sir, I'm sorry." He said, his laughter quieting immediately. He pulled off the hood of his cloak revealing (with a comical, nearly silent swoon by a few of the young ladies) a handsome young man, blonde locks peeking out from underneath a red bandanna, a genuine smile on his face that reached into his eyes.

"I just had to laugh, sir." He grinned. "I'm not alone; in fact, I'm not even in charge of our force."

"Force?" The leader blinked.

Suddenly, several figured appeared on the horizon, the sun now hanging in the middle of the sky.

They went to the gaping leader, five people, each wearing a cloak, their standard Guardian armour glinting in the new sunlight with every step.

"This is the 'force', sir." The man said. "Seven of us have volunteered to help aid your plea. I promise, sir, that we will not only protect your village, but we will also find out who is responsible for these attacks in the first place."

The leader was so relieved, that he nearly wept tears of joy.

"Thank you sir." A smile was on his tired face.

"Please," The blonde man responded, "I'm the one to be calling _you_ sir."

"Actually..." The man paused. "I suppose your should learn our names then. My name is Blaze Montgomery." Blaze smiled yet again.

Another person lowered their hood, revealing another face. "Serras Nerra."

This time, it was the young men's (and someone women, albeit discreetly) turn to blush and stare as many more faces were revealed, each of those being the face of a beautiful lady knight.

After receiving quite a shock from seeing the esteemed Maria Despair's face under a hood, the leader came to each of them, and, just like he had with Blaze, gave them each a warrior handshake.

"Thank you, all of you." He whispered. "It's a great relief, knowing that seven of Lore's finest-"

"Wait!" The young farmer exclaimed suddenly, catching the attention of everyone (including Talon who, for some reason, couldn't look at them)

"What is it?" The leader asked, turning to him, looking stern but not annoyed at his interjection.

"Well, sir," The farmer explained, "Sir Blaze said that seven came to help us. But, including him, I only count six."

"Now that I think about it, he's right." The leader clapped the farmer on the back, making him lurch forward unexpectedly, but grin at the same time.

"Sir Blaze, who is the last member?"

"As, let me see..." Blaze trailed off, and turned around to face the group standing behind him. After a moment, he nodded to himself, and turned to the leader.

"The one who is missing would happen to be our commander." He told him.

"Your commander?" He repeated, "Where would he be?"

As if to answer his question, one last person appeared. They, like the others, wore a cloak and armour. Yet theirs was different; instead of the browns and greens of the other's cloaks, they wore one that was pure white.

They walked briskly up to the leader. "I'm sorry to keep you waiting." They apologized smoothly, shocking the leader once again, as he heard, plainly from their voice, that it was not a man, but a woman.

"There was some business I had to take care of before I arrived." She told him. "I assure you, you won't have to wait for me again without a good reason. I also assure you, that we will eliminate the threat that is jeopardizing Lyndbaum's security."

"I... thank you." Was all the leader could say, as he was stunned by the brisk and straightforward business-like manner. "Please, take your time to rest, for the day is still young. We will have prepared something for you to eat; in fact, perhaps a feast, to celebrate the coming of you Guardians. Come to my house, and you can rest there."

"Thank you, Chief." The white-cloaked woman answered.

The Chief was surprised; he had not told any one of them that Chief was what everyone referred to him as. Only residents of Lyndbaum knew to call him that, if not Leader or Sir. Chief disregarded it though; for most likely, Firiana or Talon had told them.

The commander led the entire group past the silent crowds, in the direction of the Chief's house, the largest one in town. All eyes were on them, but they didn't mind, for all they could think of (excluding their commander) was bed rest.

"Oh!" The chief exclaimed. The commander paused, turning around.

"Yes?"

"I'm afraid we didn't catch your name." Chief said pleasantly. "Would you tell us, commander? I think the people of Lyndbaum would want to know the name of the person who will lead our town to safety."

There was a ripple of laughter among the village people, and smiles settled on their faces. The commander, however, remained still, her back turned to the villagers.

Her teammates looked on her with sympathy, silently telling her that this was not necessary. However, the commander shook her head. She reached her hand up, and pulled back her hood. Her glossy black hair shone in the light of the sun, now high in the sky. Ever so slowly, she turned around.

The smiles that rested on the people's faces (particularly the ones who were now in their twenties) slid off, almost in slow motion, and were replaced with looks of chock, their mouths wide.

The commander gazed upon the stunned crowd, her unique eyes, a mix of chocolate brown and amethyst, emotionless.

"My name," She murmured, "Is Rayne Anasi."

* * *

Later on that day, after they had all rested, they exited the rooms that the Chief had given them. Though it was only noon, they were all wearing their armour; no one could be too careful.

Plus, the Leader had asked them to.

As they reached the exit of the home (much larger than most of the ones in the area) however, they were surprised to see that almost the entire village had gathered. Though the grounds and the house were enormous, they were both packed, for the village was quite a large one.

Still, the leader managed to accommodate all of them. Tables were brought and lined up together, and for those who couldn't fit at the four long tables, there were smaller, regular sized one set up around the entrance of the grounds.

Seeing them, the Chief walked up to them, out of his own armour and in normal clothes.

"Good day." He greeted, shaking each of their hands enthusiastically. "Please, sit and eat."

With that, he led them up to another table, at the head of them all. That was where they would sit, with the village leader himself: the centre of attention.

Seating them as they pleased, the noon-time feast began immediately. Food hadn't been too much of a problem; some people came with their own food to contribute to the food that those working under the Leader had already prepared/

Everyone was very hungry and so everybody began to feast heartily, except for one person.

Except for Rayne.

Though Rayne was a bit peckish as well, she barely touched the food on her plate. Instead, she looked once again upon the people of Lyndbaum.

Rayne had never liked being the person that everyone focused no. Leading people on missions was different, for she knew that they were all in life-or-death situations, and it was _their_ lives in _her_ hands. She could handle that; but for anything else, it was quite difficult.

Even now, she was feeling uneasy. To see everyone's eyes straying from their meals, pretending to be watching the Leader (who sat on her left) even though they were really looking at Rayne herself. Still, she couldn't blame them.

Most of them remembered her as a child; a quiet child who they had all mercilessly teased, and actually physically harmed once or twice. A child whose own parents and shunned her before adulthood, before she even reached the age of eleven. Now, to see her as an adult must have been quite a contrast.

To see her leave a stuttering, scared little girl, and come back as a cool, calculating grown woman, and a Guardian of Lore to boot. It put a small, bitter smile on Rayne's face.

'_Would they have hurt me,' _She thought, '_If they knew what I was to become?'_

"Rayne?"

Rayne broke out of her reverie at the sound. She turned to her right side where Lizzie was sitting.

"Are you okay?" She asked, clearly worries. Rayne nodded, giving Lizzie a reassuring smile.

"I'm fine, Liz." She replied.

Lizzie was not convinced. "You've barely eaten a quarter of your plate." She mumbled, looking down at Rayne's food. Rayne followed her lead, and they both stared down at the mostly full plate.

"Don't worry about me." She assured. "I'm fine. I'm just... not very hungry."

"Right," She snorted. "And I'm a man."

"Rayne..." Her voice softened. "Is it because of...?"

Lizzie didn't finish her sentence, but she didn't need to. The tiny nod she gave towards the townsfolk spoke volumes.

Rayne hesitated, thinking about what to say. She could lie, and blame it on a queasy stomach.

After catching sight of Lizzie's eyes, Rayne knew that she couldn't lie to her.

"Yeah." She mumbled, averting her eyes, moving them from Lizzie's fact to her lap.

However, Rayne saw a pale hand slowly make its way into her gaze, placing itself gently upon Rayne's own folded hands.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Lizzie asked her quietly.

Her reason for discomfort was a sensitive topic and currently, being in the place where it all stemmed from, it was even more uncomfortable for Rayne. Yet she knew that Lizzie had a right to know; she knew that Lizzie would never do anything to hurt her.

"Later." She told her. "I promise we'll talk... but later, okay?"

"Okay." Lizzie whispered back, causing Rayne to look up to see the sweet smile that she knew would be there.

In that moment, Rayne fell in love with her all over again, like she did every time they were together. There was nothing more that she wanted to do but kiss her or pull her into an affectionate hug. Yet she refrained, for Rayne knew that there were watching eyes. So instead, she settled for something less, but not less meaningful. Discreetly, she turned Lizzie's hand over so it was palm up, and gave it a squeeze, keeping their fingers linked.

Lizzie inwardly blushed at the gesture. It was usually _she_ who was the one to start gestures like this, not Rayne (not that Rayne was unwilling to do so; it was just that she was much more shy than Lizzie was). Still, she could not complain, and neither could the woman she was holding hands with underneath the table.

* * *

The meal soon ended (Rayne actually taking a few more bites, with nobody noticing she was eating with only one hand somehow) and the dishes were stacked and whisked away by Chief's servants and those who had brought food.

Immediately, the Guardians asked about battle plans, but surprisingly, the Leader refused.

"Noon has but passed," He said a smile on his still weary face. "Please, in a few hours we will discuss our plans of action. Right now, you should relax- we want you well rested for the upcoming battle. Perhaps you should look around, to familiarize yourself with the people and the places."

There was nothing they could all do but agree. So, taking his advice, they headed into ton, the Despair sisters and Serras choosing to remain behind. Splitting up into however they liked, the remaining people (Rayne, Lizzie, Trip, and Blaze) agreed to meet back at the Leader's house in three hours, each going their separate ways.

* * *

Blaze walked down the roads of Lyndbaum, every now and then pausing to see what the villagers were doing.

It was nothing like Battleon or the Rendd capital. There were always people coming in and out of the city and the town that he could both call homes. Battleon was the start of new beginnings for young adventurers, and the place to return to for veterans. Rendd was the centre of commerce of Rendd, where the king resided, where people would go for new homes, new jobs, or to be new Knights.

While the village wasn't as lively as the two places, it was possibly even nicer. The people were friendly, each greeting him as he passed by (then again, even in Battleon everyone greeted him) it was quieter, that was for sure.

Suddenly, Blaze (his hearing sharpened after years of combat) heard something. He didn't change his pace; he kept moving at the same speed. To the untrained eye, he remained the same. Yet to a warrior, it was obvious. He was now tense, standing a little straighter than before. His senses were heightened, and adrenaline began to pump in his veins. These changed were due to one fact:

Someone was following him.

Using his peripherals, Blaze managed to make sure. Without a doubt, someone was stalking him, though he couldn't tell who. Blaze still kept his pace, though his relaxed gait was now tightened.

He walked farther into town, and his follower kept up. When he had reached the more rural areas (nearer to the farms) Blaze suddenly broke into a run. Not looking back, he focused on increasing his speed.

Taking a left, Blaze could hear the footfalls of his follower. They were still close; they had to be for their steps to be of such a loud volume.

Skidding to an almost halt, Blaze doubled back a foot, hopping a low wooden fence, immediately diving for cover in a haystack. Keeping his breathing light, Blaze waited until he was sure that whoever it was was gone. He kept almost completely still, just as he was trained to do.

That is, until he heard a soft chuckle.

Looking through a small gap in the hay, Blaze saw a familiar man (though his face was obscured) staring at him.

"It's okay," The man said. "They're gone now."

Blaze could _hear_ the teasing smile in his voice.

A gloved hand reached into the haystack. Blaze grabbed the offered hand, and within seconds, he was out.

"Thanks." Blaze tanked him, eyes closed as he brushed the hay that had come out of the stack with him off of his clothes.

When Blaze opened his eye, he saw the man grinning at him.

He was almost the same height as Blaze, only an inch shorter. His eyes were a light brown, and that was really all Blaze could say about him, for at the moment, he was covered from head to toe in farming gear, a hat even keeping the blonde from seeing what hair colour he had.

"So," Blaze said casually after digesting what facts he could see about this unknown man. "Thanks for letting me hide in your haystack."

The man laughed. "No problem." He grinned at Blaze, his eyes twinkling. 'Everyone gets sick attention sometimes; even with the kind you were receiving."

"Huh?" The blonde looked bemused.

The man laughed again and pointed in a direction. Looking where the man indicated, Blaze was stunned to see a gaggle of girls. They were far away enough so they were unable to see Blaze anymore, but close enough that both he and the man could hear one of them ask,

"Where did that Guardian go off to?"

It suddenly dawned in his mind exactly who his 'stalker' was, and the man roared with laughter as Blaze's face flushed mildly, his eyes widening.

"Well, that explains why they sounded so close." Blaze mumbled, and the man laughed for the fourth time.

'_He laughs a lot.' _Blaze thought to himself. The man's laughter wasn't overdone or annoying, but a hearty, rich sounds, coming from deep within his belly. '_Laughter is the sign of a good soul.'_

When the man's laughter faded to a faint smile, Blaze held out his hand,

"Hi," Blaze said, his faint smile growing wider. "I'm Blaze."

"Cynfor." The man met Blaze's hand, giving him a firm handshake. It was strong, but not overly forceful, and Blaze was assured in the second that he would get along very well with Cynfor.

The Guardian let his eyes wander down to the man's gloved hands. The leather was thick, yet well used. There were thin lines, where the leather creased, where his hands must have folded and closed. Looking at the back on the glove, Blaze saw the tiniest smudge of dirt. Actually, (Blaze's eyes taking in an even faster scan of his clothes than before) his entire outfit had the somewhat worn, slightly dusty look.

"Hey..." Realization dawned slowly on blaze. "I've seen you before. You were that man; the farmer that was standing next to Chief."

"Guilty as charged." Cynfor smiled.

Blaze grinned at him. "I didn't recognize you." He smirked, "Without the bucket helmet."

"Shut up." Cynfor rolled his eyes.

"Ah well," He shrugged, his smile fading a bit. "We do what we can. It's a small community- big enough to be called a town, but small enough to be called a village at the same time. Our smith can only do so much so we've got to make do for our weapons and armour, whether it me a meat cleaver, or-"

He chuckled as he pulled off his hat and twirled it for a moment on his finger, giving Blaze a flash of his blue hair. "-A straw hat."

Blaze laughed at this, causing Cynfor to laugh as well.

"So, sir straw-hat, would you mind giving me the grand tour of Lyndbaum and your farm?"

"I'd be honoured to." The farmer bowed comically, before leading Blaze around.

It was nice to have another male friend, considering most of his comrades were women. Not that he had a problem with their gender, but still.

'_I could get used to him.'_ The Guardian thought, watching his hew friend fondly.

* * *

Trip moseyed along in the town streets. Looking around, she had to admit it was a nice, quiet, calm place. Due to the fact she was so relaxed, she had only tripped once.

Suddenly, her view of the people and shops became blurred, and she found herself staring at the hard packed dirt of the ground.

Scratch that.

She had only tripped **twice.**

Picking herself up off the ground and dusting off her clothes and armour, Trip took a quick look around. She was pleasantly surprised to see that some people were laughing; not maliciously, with cruel smiles and crueller looks, but good-naturedly, as if telling her 'Don't worry, it happens to the best of us.'

Some were even pretending not to have noticed, though there were hints of kind smiles on their mouths.

Laughing herself, Trip continued on her walk, a bounce in her step, her spirits already high, raised even further by the good humour of the residents.

Yet she couldn't help but stop when she came to the village centre. In the middle was a fountain that was not gaudy, or particularly flashy, but held a simple, rustic elegance to it. The fountain was not what made her stop; rather, it was the two sitting by the fountain, beckoning her to come to them. She knew who it was already- there was no mistaking that bright orange hair of one, nor the cat ears on the others.

"Felix!" Trip exclaimed, as she came up to the said girl and Lizzie. "I didn't expect to see YOU here!"

"There's no way I'm going to miss out!" The cat demon grinned, her black and white tail swaying. "It's been way too long since the last time I was here."

"On that matter..." Trip sat next to them. "I was just thinking about something."

"What is it?" Felix asked, bouncing in her spot, excited for whatever Trip was going to ask her. She usually wasn't asked much; her answers usually weren't reliable. Not because she lied, though. No, her opinions were usually too ludicrous to even be considered proper answers.

"Why hasn't Rayne ever mentioned this place to us?" Trip wondered.

"I was thinking about that myself!" Lizzie piped in. "I mean, take a look!"

She swept her arm out, gesturing to the town in front of them with a single broad sweep of her arm.

"It's so nice here: the people are friendly, the places are quiet, and it's got such a nice, quaint feel to it."

"It's so relaxing." Trip added in. "Yet she hasn't breathed a word of it to anyone."

"Not even to me." Lizzie shook her head, wondering this herself. "Not once in all the time that I've known her."

"Do you know why, Felix?" The brunette asked, turning to her friend.

Expecting the usual, hyper and enthusiastic reply from the girl, both Trip and Lizzie were shocked to see Felix grow quiet, her face dead serious.

"That's something I can't tell you." She told them solemnly. "It's not my place to. If you want to know why, I'm sorry, but you're going to have to get it from Rayne herself."

The two women exchanged glances. The fact that Felix; hyper, immature, oblivious, can't-sit-still-nor-behave Felix was telling them this in such a grave manner meant that it was something serious.

"Where is Rayne anyways?" Trip questioned, trying to get her mind off of the puzzle that Felix had unknowingly created.

"She told me she had to go do something." Lizzie shrugged. "She said she'd be back by the dinner meal, and told me not to worry about her and instead go and explore the town."

Trip raised an eyebrow at this, but brushed it off. Rayne hardly ever kept secrets from her and Lizzie, but Trip trusted her. If Rayne needed to keep this to herself for now, then Trip wouldn't pry.

"SAY!"

Felix sprang up to her feet, cat ears twitching.

"Would you like to see the playground where Rayne and I first met?"

"Sure!" Lizzie grinned, Trip along with her. The three headed off to the playground, their minds off of Rayne.

For now, at least.

* * *

Rayne walked along the well-worn path, her mind preoccupied as her body carried her automatically along the way that was still so very familiar, even after the ten years she had been gone.

When she had been observing the attendants of the lunch feast, she had seen that everyone was there. Everyone, except for the person she had wanted to see the most. Everyone except for the one person she looked forward to seeing again.

She had left Lizzie to see the town alone. She had just said she needed to do something, and she would be back by the evening meal. Although she could see the question begging to be asked in the redhead's eyes, Lizzie had never asked what she was planning, and it warmed Rayne's heart to be reassured once again that Lizzie rusted her. Besides, Lizzie would know soon enough.

Rayne grew excited as she saw the familiar tree with the low hanging braches. Picking up her pace, she broke into a jog as she pushed the branched back. Soon, Rayne had passed the old bend in the road, and came into view of a familiar house but a moment later.

Breathing hard (more out of nerves than exhaustion) Rayne took in the sight of the cottage. It was older now, the colours a little more faded, but the house was still immaculately clean and kept, and Rayne walked up to the door.

Staring at the fading green paint, Rayne rose a hand to the door. Slowly, she knocked on it, once,

Twice,

Three times.

Time ticked by, and it seemed that every second lasted a year. However, the door opened, inch by inch, and soon, Rayne was looking at a familiar face.

His hair was streaked with the beginnings of gray, and his face was a little more lined and worn with age, but there was no mistaking those eyes; the same eyes that had looked down upon her with the fatherly love that her own biological father never had.

A smile slowly spread across his face, and he threw open the door, stretching his arms wide. Rayne stepped into them, smiling herself, as she hugged him.

"I'm back, Oren." She whispered. "I'm back."

* * *

Well I'm sorry I took so long. I got a bad writers block for this.

But now, I can say with confidence,

HOMECOMING IS BACK


End file.
